Hibs summer recruit backed to embrace Easter Road pressure dial as difficult start sparks transfer gut feeling
The Stoke City loanee has been backed after a tough start at Hibs.
Scott Allan insists Nathan Lowe has to embrace the pressure of being Hibs' main man in attack after a tough start at Easter Road.
The striker arrived on loan from Stoke City in the summer transfer window, quickly handed the number nine shirt, and he backed himself to become the Premiership's top marksman. He's scored twice in 15 games across all competitions as new boss Marink Reedijk is tasked with getting more goals out the man brought in by sacked predecessor David Gray.
Former Hibs midfielder Allan has watched Stoke City loanee Lowe's games closely, and believes the expectation he's carrying is something a forward should relish, but wonders if his ex-side still lack a reliable goal-getter. He said: "I just don't know if he has that real conviction in front of goal yet.
Nathan Lowe at Hibs assessed
"He's had a lot of chances that I think he should maybe do better with. That's where they would have made themselves a wee bit wide open to criticism because they haven't really brought someone in who looks like they're going to be a real killer in front of goal.
"I think if you're a young player, obviously he's came on loan and if you've got any aspiration to go and play at higher levels, I think you've got to take that pressure and use it as a positive. I think you've got to embrace that. Getting the number nine shirt as a young player coming to Hibs, it's quite a big moment for a young player. So for me, I'm not going to sit and say that's increased the pressure.
"I think that's the sort of pressure you want as a striker. That's the belief you want in yourself to go and score goals but ultimately when he's had the chances in some of the bigger games, he just hasn't managed to take them, for me."
Hibs recruitment assessed
Sporting director Malky Mackay has been criticised after a recruitment drive in the summer largely based in the EFL. Josh Mulligan and Jamie McGrath's impact last season that established them as two of the club's most reliable stars shows Allan not all is broken, but new management could see some players rise to the surface, proving what they are truly capable of.
Allan added: "I think you've seen other teams though, sometimes certain players don't suit a certain style of football. Then a new manager comes in, and gets a certain structure there in these players who maybe people don't deem good enough, they then come to the fore. I've seen that quite a lot of times. Especially in football now with the short tenure that a lot of managers have.
“I think it's hard to get every window right. I would say that for any recruitment team across the country, it's really hard to get recruitment right every window. You look at last year, Josh Mulligan came in, McGrath came in, the two of them are still Hibs' two best midfielders for me. With other players sometimes it just takes a little bit of time."
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